


Magnolia Academy

by aliasmajik



Category: Black Jewels - Anne Bishop
Genre: Chaillot, F/F, F/M, M/M, Prequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 01:10:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13112691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliasmajik/pseuds/aliasmajik
Summary: With the shadow of Hayll's influence looming on the horizon in Chaillot, there are only a handful of people who might be able to stand against it. Two young Queens are on the cusp of adulthood but a conspiracy to destroy them lies at the heart of the very school supposed to be teaching them.





	1. Clear as Mud

Magnolia Academy. Josephine’s stomach clenched at the idea. Magnolia Academy was the single most prestigious school in Chaillot, probably in most of Terreille. She had worked hard to get here. Her family were of modest means. Not poor, precisely, but hardly the typical family sending their child to Magnolia. She took a deep breath and brushed off imaginary dirt from the skirt of her uniform. Slate gray blazer, white button up shirt, and tartan skirt in the school colors: emerald green, black, and white. Hardly the sort of clothes she was used to wearing. The clothes had made her nervous. The building loomed before her and she felt her stomach church. She shouldn't have eaten breakfast this morning. It was threatening to make a reappearance.

She climbed the long stairs up to the front of the building. The doors were thrown open to the warm autumn morning air. Standing next to them, she felt small. They were easily eight feet tall and she wondered, briefly, if any one of the students here were that big. She hoped not. She gave out a half panicked giggle at the thought.

The foyer was empty. 

“This place is… something.” Her father spoke up from behind her. She glanced back. He didn’t look like he belonged here, someone ragged around the edges and clearly uncomfortable. She hated thinking that. DId she look as out of place as he did? “I guess this is fancier than anything Lady Karen could have offered you.”

Her father had her luggage. She’d packed light. Not much to pack, honestly. He looked more than a little overbalanced and she wondered why he’d specifically chosen not to vanish the luggage. She’d offered to do it herself, but he’d insisted. Males were weird. She didn’t reply, though. If she admitted she was nervous her father might start up his argument that she should just forgo this and taken the apprenticeship that Lady Karen had offered her. 

Lady Karen Cauldwell was a District Queen in the south of the Territory. She ruled the District that they lived in and she had for most of her life. It was four Blood villages and twice that many landen ones. Josie’s home village wasn’t small, precisely. It was the largest settlement in their District. But still...it was an unimportant District in the south end of nowhere.. Lady Karen’s home was beautiful. Her family had money and her home overlooked the ocean in a beautiful way. But she had no ambition and was perfectly happy to live out the rest of her days in peace.

It wasn’t as if she wasn’t honored to have the offer, but she knew that without the kind of schooling she could receive at Magnolia she would never serve as anything but a District Queen in a remote area of the Territory. She had higher hopes for herself than that. 

Josephine was a Queen. The first Queen that her village had boasted in generations, in fact. 

“It’s nice.” She said with a measure of finality. Her father, wisely, stayed quiet. 

The foyer was vast and wide and even their whispered words echoed. 

“Ah, Lady Josephine, I presume.” A matronly woman’s voice. A woman dressed quite nicely approached from the left hand staircase. She descended with the grace of a woman quite used to this place. Her heels, though modest, clicked on each stair as she moved. The noise filled the empty foyer, making it feel that much more vast. Her graying blonde hair was scraped back from her face into a neat bun. Despite this, though, she didn’t look unfriendly. 

“Lady,” she gave a small, polite bow. Protocol put Josephine higher in rank, but she wasn’t foolish enough to ignore the woman’s age. Josie heard her father move as well but she didn't look to see what he did. Apparently he also bowed, however, because the woman seemed pleased by his response.

“I am Headmistress Helena Ashworth.” she introduced herself. She held out her hands in formal welcome to Josephine’s father. He held his hands palm up and inclined his head. Her father was a Warlord and despite a rough upbringing he knew how to be polite. “I have been expecting you. Most of the students returned to the dormitories yesterday, but you and a few other new students arrived today.” 

Josephine nodded. She hadn’t known that. Great. The school was already full of people. 

“Now, I will show you to your room.” Her eyes fixated on her father. “Unfortunately, Lord Deluna, there is a very strict rule that there are to be no males in the Ladies’ dormitories. No exceptions.” There was something more there, Josie realized instantly. This woman didn’t like her father. She wanted to be furious.

Josephine turned to her father. He smirked at her. He hadn’t taken offense at her tone. “I guess we say goodbye now, firefly.” She flushed. That stupid nickname. She wasn’t five anymore. Still, she stepped forward for a breath stealing hug. He whispered in her ear. “If you don’t like it here you just let me know. I’ll come and get you in a heartbeat.” 

She laughed weakly. “Thanks, dad.” She inhaled his scent. “I’m going to miss you.” 

“Me too.” he replied. She finally let go and stepped back. His eyes were sparkling. He sat down her luggage and she waved her hand, vanishing it all. He bowed slightly to the Headmistress before he turned to go. She watched him walk out of those doors and down the steps before he was out of sight. She turned to look back at the Headmistress. 

The woman didn’t wait to see if she was being followed. She simply walked.

Long down hallways gilded and tall. White walls edged in gold. Windows huge and so clean she felt like she could see for miles. She felt very small. The headmistress finally stopped in front of a door, producing a key and unlocking it. She handed the key to Josephine. “Don’t lose it. The walls are spelled so that you cannot pass through them with Craft.” she explained. She opened the door and stepped aside, allowing Josephine to enter. 

The room was huge compared to what she was used to. A large four poster bed, a sturdy white oak desk, a wardrobe and a vanity. Thick green carpets. 

“You will find basic school supplies in the desk and several more uniforms in the wardrobe. When they have been soiled, you can put them into the laundry chute in your bathing room.” the woman explained. “Through that door is the bathing room. You share it with another girl, so please be mindful of that. Room inspections are just after lunch every day, so make sure that the room is quite tidy every morning. Your schedule will be provided to you at breakfast tomorrow, so see to it that you arrive promptly.”  
The explanations moved past swiftly. She hoped that she remembered it all. 

“Who is my suitemate?” she asked. 

“Alexandra Angelline.” she replied. “She is the only other new student who is a Queen. We thought it best to pair you two together.” 

Josephine nodded. She had no idea who that was, but being close to another Queen might be calming. She hoped they could be friends. 

“Dinner is in an hour. You have time to freshen up before then. Students are expected to dress for dinner,” she said with an odd tone. “If you lack anything in your wardrobe that is suitable, you may wear your uniform instead.” Lady Ashworth surveyed the room as she spoke. “Meals are served promptly. Those who arrive late are not served.” 

Josephine flushed. She had one or two dresses. Plain but surely suitable. Judging by the woman’s tone, however, she was going to need to have a few more made. That would be a chunk of the money she’d been given for living expenses. The whole village had scraped together a monetary gift for her. They were quite proud of her. She didn’t want to let anyone down. 

“Do you have any further questions?” the Headmistress asked. Josephine realized that the woman would rather have been elsewhere. Why had she met Josephine in person, then? She blinked. It was because Josephine was a Queen. Josephine was used to the way that a village treated a Queen, but she had no basis for how polite society acted around one. It would have been rude for the Headmistress not to meet Josephine personally. She had been attempting to undermine Josephine since they’d met, likely to keep the girl’s ego from getting above itself. No such danger with Josephine, who was used to doing her fair share of the hard work. 

Lady Ashworth didn’t know that. “No, thank you, Lady Ashworth.” she replied dutifully. 

“Good.” she sniffed. “Now, you’ll want to unpack. There is a maid assigned to your floor since you lack a personal one if you wish to have her help.” 

Help her unpack? Josephine couldn’t imagine needing help. “No, thank you.” she repeated. 

“Very well. Welcome to Magnolia Academy, Lady Josephine.” she inclined her head and departed. Josephine heaved a sigh of relief when she was alone. First things first, she inspected the bathroom. Indoor plumbing, of course. A porcelain bathtub with copper fixtures. A beautiful pedestal sink and giant gilded mirror. A dressing area separate to the actual bathing area with a plush bench. That seemed impractical, she thought, considering that the person using it was likely to be damp. But when she touched it she realized there was a waterproofing spell on it. There was also a warming spell on the marble tile under her feet. 

She was tentatively excited about this, imagining lounging in the bath. 

Her eyes found the opposite door. Her suitemate. Alexandra Angelline. What kind of girl was she, Josephine wondered. She walked to the door and knocked twice but there was no answer. She must not be in her room. Nothing for it.  
She padded back into her own room and unpacked her bags. 

\- - - 

Dinner at Magnolia was nothing like she’d expected. They were seated at round tables that sat eight students. The girls and boys were paired off. She supposed this was a kind of training in itself. Escort training on the behalf of the boys, and for the girls it was practice in how to behave when being escorted. 

Josephine had some experience being escorted all over her village, but the boy they paired her with was nothing like the boys from her village. Close cropped dark hair. Tall and willowy, though clearly well muscled based on the way his forearm felt under her hand. He towered over her. His expression wasn’t stern but more simply blank and disinterested. He gave her a bow and offered his arm. Tentatively she looped her arm around his in the way she’d seen the other girls do. 

“Prince Raul Devitt.” The woman who was assigning partners said. “Meet Lady Josephine Deluna.” He escorted her along and she had to set a faster pace than she normally would have. His legs were considerably longer than hers. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Prince.” she said as they moved along the dining room. He didn’t say anything and she wondered if she’d offended him or something. She was trying to be polite. She made a face that wasn’t very polite, but he didn’t notice.  
She’d only been around one Warlord Prince in her life, and he was an elderly man who served as the local judiciary on behalf of the District Queen. He’d been cordial and polite in her experience. He could teach this Raul a lesson or two. 

He paused at a table that looked like the rest of them. Crisp white table cloth. Fine china. She realized he had pulled out a chair for her at a seat with a placard that had her name neatly handwritten. She flushed a little, taking the offered seat. “Thank you.” she said. 

“You’re welcome.” he replied. His tone was very deep. He had to be older than her by at least a year or two. He took the seat to her right and she saw the ring on his left hand for the first time. Sapphire. 

Well that explained why they had been paired. He wore the Sapphire. He was likely the darkest Jeweled Warlord Prince at this school. Of course he would be paired with a Queen. 

Nervously, she folded her hands in her lap. 

“Raul!” a voice called out from several tables over. A cheerful boy was waving. The girl he was with didn’t seem to mind. He moved over to them with a lot less decorum. “They seated us together? I’m shocked. I didn’t think they would after the banquet last year.” He laughed. “Please, be seated Lady Renata.” The mystery boy took the seat next to Josephine on her other side. “You must be new. I’m Ari. Raul is my cousin.” He held out his hand in informal greeting. 

“I’m Josephine,” she replied. She took his hand and shook it. It was hard to dislike him and Josephine found herself smiling. She glanced at Raul. They didn’t look anything alike. They didn’t act anything alike. “Pardon me for saying so, but you two don’t seem like cousins.” she replied. 

“We get that a lot.” Ari replied. “We’ve known one another all our lives though. I could tell you so many stories!” He started off chattering about this and that, not letting anyone get a word in edgewise. Josephine looked at Renata, who smiled and gave a little shrug. It seemed like this was a usual way for Ari to be and it was better to just accept it. Ari chattered until another couple joined them. 

The girl was a beauty. Thick black hair and striking violet eyes, and tall to boot. She clung to the boy’s arm a bit too tight. He was attractive enough himself, with white blonde hair and sharp blue eyes. Both were dressed to impress, striking to look at. They made quite a pair, in no small part because she was a Queen and he was a Warlord Prince. 

Josephine had always read that when two Warlord Princes met there was likely to be conflict so she steeled herself for it, but there wasn’t. Based on their casual greeting, they already knew one another and fairly well. Josephine let out a relieved sigh. 

“Blair, you need to meet Josephine. She’s new.” Ari introduced. He looked at the other Queen. “You’re new, too, aren’t you? I don’t recognize you.” 

“I am Alexandra Angelline. Charmed.” she said smoothly. 

Josephine brightened. “You’re my suitemate!” chimed in. Alexandra looked at her and she had the feeling she was being judged. Then Alexandra smiled. It didn’t feel like a friendly smile. Josie’s brightness dimmed and she didn’t say anything else on the subject.

The final couple that joined them didn’t get an exuberant greeting from Ari and they seemed pleased enough by that. 

The meal was pleasant enough, though that was mostly Ari’s influence. He didn’t seem to be capable of being quiet longer than the time it took him to eat a bite of food here and there. He seemed very young and she assumed he was younger than her. She hadn’t expected that. She’d thought she’d be one of the youngest here, being a first year and fifteen years old. 

The food was excellent but she felt self conscious eating it. She tried to act like she’d sat in formal dining rooms eating food of this quality every day, but she was well aware of the truth. And her eating companions were, too. Ari was polite enough not to say anything and Raul didn’t seem to care, but Blair and Alexandra chuckled and whispered to themselves. She flushed. 

This was already harder than she’d expected it to be. 

After the meal, Raul escorted her back to the door of the dining room and bowed to her as a Warlord Prince should to a Queen. She awkwardly thanked him and fled back to her room. 

With her door firmly locked she collapsed onto her bed and struggled to catch her breath. She was in way over her head. She stared up at the ceiling. She wasn’t going to be scared off just because of some rich people, though. She was better than that.

\- - - 

Classes were the easy part. She was remarkably well read considering her background. Her mother had run the village library before her death and she had made quite sure that Josephine read extensively. 

Her core classes were in Craft, Protocol, literature, mathematics, and history. She had been given the choice of two of the elective courses and had chosen dance and Hayllian language. It didn’t take a Black Widow to see Hayll looming on the horizon in Terreille, but Josephine had been given a warning about it before she came. 

“Hayll is the beast who always hungers. Chaillot is one of the few meals left to it. If we are to survive, we must remain united.”

As clear as any warning given by a Black Widow, she supposed. 

Protocol classes were held in the ballroom most days. The instructor was a middle aged witch who while quite graceful and intelligent was not especially pretty. She brokered no disobedience in the ranks, however, and the students fell into line easily enough. Basic Protocol was a topic that Josephine was actually quite comfortable with so the class wasn’t particularly intimidating, but she had reviewed the curriculum and later in the term they would begin delving into Court Protocol. That was a topic she knew basically nothing about and one that she would be quite central to. 

Josephine chose a seat in the front row with empty seats to her left and her right. She wasn’t alone long, though. A body dropped into the chair on either side of her and she jumped. She looked left and right and had the sinking feeling that something was going on. 

“We don’t know you.”

“We know everyone.” 

She looked back and forth. “I’m Josephine.” she offered. “Pleased to meet you.” 

They studied her from both sides and she pushed away from the table to get a better

view of both of them. “You’re crowding me.” she said pointedly. They ignored that comment. 

“Interesting.” the one on the right remarked. 

“Very.” the one on the left added.

She huffed. “This would be when you introduce yourselves.” She added more than a touch annoyed. 

“I’m Judah. That’s Micah.” The one on the right explained. He leaned forward on his elbow to study her better. “I think this class is going to be very interesting.” 

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever,” she muttered. She turned her attention to her books but kept an eye on them anyway. They were identical twins. Jet black hair and honey brown eyes. Their mannerisms and even their speech was identical. Perhaps most frightening though was their psychic scents. It was impossible to pick them out as distinct people. Castes. Jewels. Nothing distinct. 

More than strange. Disconcerting. She hadn’t known that was possible. She was discovering many things here. Not all of them were good. 

\- - - 

The first weekend at the school she found an invitation pinned to her door with just a touch of Craft. When she pulled it down she was met with the waft of rose and she sneezed. She made a face and cracked open the envelope. 

It was an invitation to a garden party hosted by Blair Donovan. The Warlord Prince she’d met at dinner her first night. She hadn’t seen him again since then as tables were mixed about night to night. The invitation, then, confused her. He hadn’t seemed interested in her that night. He had, in fact, seemed more interested in Alexandra. 

Still, she donned one of her dresses and headed for the rose gardens. 

Subtle violin and piano music floated in the air. There were dozens of guests here already, which could have explained her presence. This was hardly an intimate affair. She floated about, somewhat awkwardly. When offered a glass of sparkling grape juice she accepted it. When offered some sort of appetizer she took that, too, even though she had no idea what it was. It tasted mostly of butter.

“Ah, Lady Josephine! Lovely of you to join us here this afternoon.” Josephine turned at the sound of her voice and couldn’t quite keep the confusion off of her face. The man who stood before her looked largely unassuming, and a touch too friendly. He was dressed, as most of the boys were, in the school uniform. It seemed there was a touch of hypocrisy in that boys usually wore their uniform and girls were expected to have a wardrobe of appropriate dresses and gowns on hand. 

“I’m sorry… I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.” she said diplomatically. Her tone was a touch tart, but if he noticed he didn’t acknowledge it. 

His smile was almost a touch predatory. “I am Desmond Hightower. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” He bowed, the image of perfect courtesy. 

“Ah, yes. It’s a pleasure.” She stammered. She hated all of this forced courtesy. She looked about. “Is Prince Blair here somewhere? I should thank him for his invitation.” She said with an air of certainty. 

“Let me escort you.” 

That was not precisely what she was intending, but it would be impossible to deny him and save face so she took his arm and allowed herself to be led. Desmond had a distinguished air. He couldn’t be much older than her but he had an air of command and presence that was undeniable. He led her in a way that left no question as to whether she would follow him. 

“How are you liking Magnolia so far, my Lady?” he asked politely. She thought of a few answers but none of them were precisely polite. “Judging by your silence, I would guess that you’re reaching for an answer appropriate for polite company.” She gaped at him. His smile never wavered. “There are many here who would use your for your caste and your Jewels, Lady. I would be quite careful where you put your trust.” 

Before she could answer, he shifted, drawing her hand to his mouth. He kissed her hand with all measure of gallantry. “It would be such a shame to see such a lovely woman eaten alive before we can truly see what she is capable of. Prince Blair is just over there. If you’ll excuse me, however.” He smiled at he once more. She had no words. She couldn’t even muster a thank you before he was gone. She blinked in his wake. Strange, but what he’d said mirrored a lot of what she already felt. 

She turned and spotted her target. When she approached him, he looked up and fixed his eyes on her. “Ah, I hadn’t been sure you would even come.” 

Blair Donovan. He reclined on a metal garden chair painted white. He looked to be holding Court around him. She spied Ari, who waved, and Raul who looked at her but said nothing. There were others there, as well, many people she didn’t know. If Desmond’s look had been predatory, Blair’s was hungry.. “Welcome to my party, Josephine! How are you liking it?” 

“Quite interesting.” she answered honestly. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to the social undertones of this place. However, it didn’t take a genius to note that it was Blair holding Court, and the people around him were here at his whim. He was clearly the dominant power in this circle, even though his Opal Jewel did not outrank Raul’s Sapphire. She should be intimidated.

She wasn’t. 

“Quite interesting, indeed.” She held her head up. 

Their eyes met. She thought it would be challenge she saw there, but it wasn’t. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she felt the world tilt. Time stopped. Nothing happened until Alexandra moved and touched Blair’s forearm. They broke eye contact.  
The world, it seemed, continued to spin. 

“Blair,” Alexandra’s tone annoyed Josephine, though she couldn’t have said why. “You were telling us about your trip to Tacea.” Alexandra looked at Josephine. When their eyes met, Josie found that challenge that she had been expecting with Blair. Josie narrowed her eyes. Alexandra looked away first. 

“Ah, I was, wasn’t I?” He looked back to those gathered around him, finally glancing at her. “Would you like to join us?” he asked her. 

She flashed a smile. “No thank you.” 

His eyes fixed on her but she gave nothing away. 

“Another time, then.” 

A dismissal. 

She knew a dismissal when she heard one and she wandered away. She tried to act like she couldn’t feel their eyes on her back. She found a waiter who had just water and she drank it back too quickly for polite company. It was hot out here. She looked up at the sky. Beautiful and clear and blue, but hot. She pinched the fabric of her dress between her fingers and tugged, trying to allow some air between fabric and skin. 

This was an aristo party, she thought. She’d seen better.

She finally found a bench tucked into a shady alcove of the garden that wasn’t occupied and sat down in peace. 

Her first week at Magnolia hadn’t been too bad. She was going to find her stride. She didn’t care about what anybody thought. Still, she took a few minutes to rest before she stood back up. She should mingle a little more, she supposed. She’d barely spoken to anyone. 

“Don’t move!” 

She heard the shout and instinctively she looked for the source. 

Blair, Raul, Ari, and a few others were headed in her direction. She didn’t know why. She moved to step back and heard a noise in the grass by her feet. She looked down and her heart skipped several beats. A snake.  
She was familiar with snakes. She liked to think she wasn’t afraid of them, but that would be a lie. 

Her movement had startled it and it reared back at her, hissing. She inhaled sharply but didn’t even have time to scream before she was overtaken. 

Several things happened at once. Raul grabbed her and flung her behind him with the kind of force that could move mountains. Ari used a flick of Craft to stun the snake. The two trapped the snake with Craft. Josie stumbled after being tossed and was caught by Blair, who caught her by both shoulders and steadied her. 

Raul beheaded the snake but the moment he did, it became clear that it wasn’t a real snake. It had been conjured with Craft. The body unraveled before them into long streamers of black and gold ribbon. 

She would have called it an illusion but she had seen the two needles fall from the creature’s head. It could have badly hurt her, either way. 

Blair turned her to look down at her face. “Are you alright?” 

His tone was strange. She’d never heard that tone before. “I’m fine.” she replied. She turned to look over her shoulder. “How did you know?” 

“Renata saw a snake over here. She’d just come to tell us.” Ari replied. “Are you okay, Josie?” 

“I am,” she returned his smile. It was hard not to. Still she felt the adrenaline of fear coursing through her. Blair’s grip tightened on her shoulders and she felt his hands shaking. “Prince.” she said softly. His eyes met her and slowly his fingers unbent. She counted to ten, slowly. By nine he’d released her entirely. She let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. She was surrounded by students. Blair, Ari, Raul, the twins Micah and Judah, even Desmond. Quite a line up. Some of the biggest names at the school. 

They obviously already knew one another. They exchanged looks amongst themselves. Josephine shifted and realized very quickly that they all responded to her movement. She froze. 

“Guys…” A hesitant female voice. Josephine spotted Renata just outside of the circle of people. She paused, waiting for the tension to ease slightly before she slid between Raul and Blair and grabbed Josie’s arm. “Are you alright? You were so brave!”  
Josie felt lightheaded and leaned on Renata for support. She suddenly didn’t feel so brave. “I think I’d like to go back to my room.” Renata caught her arm and helped to steady her. 

“Prince,” Renata addressed Blair. “The Lady would like to lay down.” Her statement was pointed and Josie marveled at the way Blair reigned himself in somewhat. He finally inclined his head. Renata tugged Josie along with her and helped her back to her room. They fumbled with the key and finally got the door open. Josie sat down on the edge of her bed and Renata sat next to her. They both heaved sighs and Josie fell back. 

“I’ve never felt faint before.” she muttered. 

Renata laid back as well. “That was a lot.” 

Silence for a long moment. “Renata… that wasn’t just a snake. Someone made that with Craft.” 

Renata swallowed. “Yeah.”

“Who would do that?” 

“I… I don’t know for sure. But there’s more going on at Magnolia than anyone wants to admit.” Renata explained. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that snake wasn’t meant for you to begin with.” she confessed. 

“Me? But why?” 

“You’re a Queen.” she said simply. “You’re not from the capital so you may not realize it… but there’s a lot of people working hard to undermine the Queens in Chaillot. There are people fighting to set up a male council in the capital to ‘advise the Queen’.” She was staring at the ceiling and her tone was hollow. 

Josie felt cold. “That’s… that can’t be true. The Queens would never allow that.” she said insistently. 

“They don’t have a choice. They have been fighting for years but they are losing that fight.” Renata curled up on her side, facing Josie. “The boys think there’s a conspiracy going on here at the school to eliminate anyone who could grow up to challenge the male council.” She was looking at Josie directly. “Ari pointed you out as a potential target the day you met. They’ve kind of… been keeping tabs on you.” 

Josie’s eyes narrowed. “They’ve what?” 

Renata sighed. “Don’t get prickly. They mean well. They’re just… male about it.” 

Josie pushed herself up. She still felt light headed but now it was for so much more. She stared at Renata. “They don’t know you’re telling me this, do they?” 

“No, but some of them will have guessed.” Renata replied. “I’ll tell them.” she added. She closed her eyes. “You should probably get some rest before dinner. We have to keep up appearances.” Renata sat up. Josie frowned as she caught a glimpse of a charm on a chain around her neck. 

“What’s that?” Josie asked. Renata hesitated before pulling the chain out from under her shirt. An hourglass pendant with the sand in the top of the hourglass. “You’re a Black Widow?” Josie whispered. 

“An apprentice.” Renata acknowledged. “It’s… not common knowledge. Please don’t say anything.” 

Josie nodded. “I wouldn’t. But why hide it?” 

Renata swallowed hard. “Because there’s a storm coming and it’s not always going to be safe for honesty.” 

Clear as mud. That was a Black Widow for you.


	2. Paths to Follow

After the snake incident, Josephine thought that maybe things would change. The strange connection she’d felt to Blair and the others had been powerful, like a punch to the gut, but things went back to the way they had been overnight. She spent the following afternoon curled up in the school’s main library reading about illusion Craft but she didn’t find anything concrete that would have explained how exactly the snake had been made. At first she’d thought that it might be Black Widow’s Craft, but the components suggested something else. It hadn’t truly been an illusion by that standard. 

Feeling frustrated she returned to her room with barely enough time to change for dinner and rush to the dining hall. Her escort tonight was yet another man she didn’t recognize but he seemed to be looking at her quite intently. She was feeling more than a little annoyed with the scrutiny by the time they were at their table. With a bit of dread she realized that Alexandra was also at her table. 

“Lady.” Alexandra greeted stiffly. Josephine had wondered after her conversation with Renata if Alexandra might have been responsible for the snake in the garden but seeing her here today Josephine began to doubt herself. They were the only two Queens in their class. There were precisely two other Queens were enrolled in the school and Josephine hadn’t seen them around at all. Josephine had decided that Alexandra was a rival who was just jealous of the attention Josephine had been receiving. Besides, Alexandra would be another target if Renata and the others were right about people targeting potential future problems. 

“Alexandra.” Josephine replied. She made a point to corner her later and try to extend an olive branch. It would be better if they could work together and not fight. Especially if there really was a larger threat at foot.

Dinner was tense and Josephine found it hard to keep up with all of the intricacies of formal dining with her mind a million miles away. More than once she heard the muffled laughter of her companions when she did something wrong. She flushed with frustration and forced herself to focus. So when it happened she saw the whole thing. The girl sitting to her right reached for the salt shaker in the center of the table and “accidentally” knocked Josephine’s glass over, spilling the juice all over everything, including her dress and the white tablecloth. 

Josie yelped and threw herself away from the table some, but the damage was done. Her light blue dress was stained down the front with dark purple grape juice. She made a frustrated noise and stood up. Laughter bubbled up from her table and then others as they looked to see what was going on. Angry and hurt, Josie stormed away from the table and out of the room entirely. One of the chaperones hollered after her to get back there, but she ignored them. She entered the first washroom she could find and dabbed at her dress with a wet towel but there was nothing for it. She was absolutely covered in it. 

“Here, give me that.” She jumped when she heard someone speak from behind her. She turned as Blair reached over her shoulder and took the towel. He turned her towards him and knelt to get a better look at the mess. “Oh man, it really went everywhere. You have really bad luck.” he remarked, dabbing gingerly. 

“It wasn’t an accident.” she muttered darkly. He looked up at her and she saw in his eyes that he knew that already. 

“I don’t think the dress can be saved.” he said as he stood back up. “You’re drenched.” he added. He gave her a small smile and though she was still angry and frustrated she felt herself smile back a bit. 

“Maybe I can dye it. Purple would be a good color for it anyway.” she muttered looking down at it. “I need to go change.” she sighed. She wasn’t going to bother going back to dinner at this rate. He nodded. 

“I’ll walk you back to your room.” His tone was light and airy and even if the gesture annoyed her, she relented when she saw his face. He might hide his thoughts behind that charming airhead persona, but there was more to Blair Donovan than that. 

“Thanks.” she replied. Blair walked her as far as the door to the girl’s wing and left her. 

\----

The next morning she uncharacteristically slept in and didn’t have time to get breakfast before her first class. She pulled on her uniform, brushed her hair out as quickly as she could, and barely slung her bag over her shoulder before she burst through her door. 

In the hallway she found a surprise. Micah and Judah. She gaped. “You shouldn’t be here!” she managed. They exchanged conspiratorial grins before they moved towards her. 

“Rules are made to be broken, as they say.” One of them threw out. She took them both in and decided that the one who had spoken was Micah. 

“We aren’t going to do what the headmistress says just because she says it.” And that one was Judah. At least she was pretty sure. She’d get it eventually. 

She sighed. “You are going to get in so much trouble.” She wasn't going to try to stop them. She doubted that anyone could stop them when they got a thought in their heads. “Why are you even here?” she added. In the distance she heard a bell chime and swore under her breath. “I’m late!” she said. She didn’t wait for the twins to say anything, but she realized that they were running alongside her. She glared at them in turn. “Why are you following me?” she demanded, puffing as she ran. She was way out of shape. 

Neither answered with anything but slightly creepy grins and then they were at the classroom and Josephine was too focused on apologizing for being late than getting answers. “Perhaps if you were not busy with your friends, you would be on time Lady Deluna.” Josephine headed for her seat and sent a heated glare at the twins where they were settling across the room from her. 

Classes were uneventful. Josephine had a hard time concentrating, though, and her notes were a mess. She didn’t have time to figure out what the twins were thinking. She had a mystery to unravel that could very well save her life. 

She flipped to a clean page in her notes and started to write down everything she knew. The list was woefully short. She needed way more information. She needed to figure out how that snake had been made. She needed an idea of who in this school might be targeting students. She needed to figure out the motivations of Blair Donovan and his little Court. She needed to know way more about the political climate in Chaillot. The first three were hardest. The last one, though… she needed to talk to someone with political experience. She’d heard that Alexandra’s grandmother had been Territory Queen before she’d stepped down a few years ago. 

A good place to start as any. 

Josephine cornered Alexandra at lunch. Lunch was informal in nature, so Josephine grabbed her meal and slid into the side across from Alexandra. She had, thankfully, been alone. Alexandra studied her for a long moment. 

“Can I help you?” she asked stiffly. Josephine glanced around. They were pretty secluded here.

“We need to talk. We are both in danger-” Alexandra scoffed. “Hey, no, listen to me. Tell me about Chaillot. The Courts. Someone told me that there’s a movement to undermine the Queens.” Josephine insisted. Alexandra looked uncomfortable.

“Yes… there’s a push to create a council that would be a counter balance to the power of the Territory Queen’s Court.” she said reluctantly. “A male council.” she added. Josephine frowned. A Queen’s rule was absolute.The Court was her instrument but also the counterweight to her power. 

“Who is pushing for it?” Josephine asked. Alexandra shrugged.

“I don’t know where the idea came from but it’s being pushed forward by some of the richer aristo families.” She paused, looking around. This was almost a completely different girl sitting here. “The same people who pushed my grandmother out of power.” she confided quietly. Josephine mulled that over. 

“It’s Hayll’s influence.” Alexandra said bitterly. “I don’t think people realize it yet, but it’s one of the things that the High Priestess pushes in Territories she’s trying to take over. The male council undermines the Queen’s power until she’s hobbled entirely and then she moves in.” 

Josephine chewed on her bottom lip, thinking. She hadn’t known that at all. “How can we stop it?” she asked.

Alexandra looked at her. “We’re fifteen. We can’t legally form a Court until we are 18. We’re powerless.” she looked ill. She’d thought of this before. Josephine steeled her jaw. 

“I refuse to accept that.” She reached across the table and grabbed Alexandra’s hand. “We can’t give up.” Alexandra frowned. “No, don’t give me that. If we give up then who’s going to do something about this? I refuse to sit back and watch Hayll take over Chaillot.” 

Big words coming from a girl who didn’t even know which fork to use at dinner. “Alright. Fine. We don’t give up.” Alexandra squeezed her hand. “I have no idea what we can do… but we’ll try.” 

That’s all that Josephine wanted. She turned her attention to her lunch. Rousing speech, but now she needed a plan. No… she needed intel. “What do you know about Blair Donovan and his crew?” she asked. 

Alexandra looked annoyed. “I’ve been trying to win Blair over. HIs family is hugely influential. His father’s name keeps getting tossed around as potential chairman of the council. As far as I can tell he hasn’t actually spoken one way or another on the issue, though. I get the impression that the family matriarch dictates what he does for the most part.” She stabbed at her salad. “That’s part of what’s been frustrating about you,” she said honestly. “Just when I think I’ve got him you show up and it’s like I don’t exist.” She looked a little embarrassed to have admitted that. 

Josephine didn’t really know what to say. “It’s not like I mean to.” she muttered. She opted to change the subject. “And his lackeys?” 

Alexandra snorted and then looked mortified that she’d made the noise at all. “Most of the people surrounding him also come from important families. Notably the Hightowers, but the Devitts are nothing to discount either.” she licked her lips. “I’m not sure why they all gather around him but he’s obviously the key. Get Blair on your side and the others follow.” 

Josephine considered her words. “But can they be trusted? You said it yourself that Blair’s dad is involved with the council.”

Alexandra put her fork down with a little clink. “You can’t underestimate a Queen’s power. I’m sure I could control him if I could just win him over.” 

Josephine frowned. She didn’t like that. Control him? It sounded like slavery. She was old enough to realize that a lot of the things she’d read about likely idealized Blood law and Protocol and some of the stories she’d read as a kid were clearly fictionalized accounts but she refused to believe that a Court worked like that. 

“You couldn’t do it.” Alexandra said quickly. “He would never choose you over me.” Whether she was trying to convince herself or Josephine was unclear. The moment of camaraderie was broken, though, and Josephine looked at her food without really eating it. Eventually she just gave up trying.

She had a lot to think about. 

\---

A lot to think about turned into a nap sprawled across a table in the library with an open book as her pillow. When she woke up the sun was directly in her eyes, meaning that it had to be nearly sunset. She blinked, bleary eyed, and rubbed at them with the sleeve of her blazer. She didn’t remember falling asleep. She’d been trying to research recent Chaillot history but she wasn’t finding much of anything. It seemed Magnolia was reluctant to focus on the present. 

Josephine stared down at the page she’d been sleeping on, a little mortified to see that she’d left a drool mark. She quickly shuffled through the pages. 

She wasn’t really getting anywhere doing this kind of research. Her talk with Alexandra had yielded more information than anything else, but she had the impression that door was closed for the time being. She yawned and stretched, feeling her back and neck crack. 

“You’re an oddly trusting person, Lady Josephine.” 

A chill ran straight down her spine. She hadn’t known anyone was near her at all, so hearing her name fairly close to her made her jump. She turned around in her seat and found that she was being watched. Desmond Hightower was seated comfortably in an armchair with a book open in his lap. 

“What?” 

He smirked. This looked nothing like the young man she’d met in the garden who had been polished manners and charm. WIth his face half in shadow and the odd glint in his eye she had the distinct impression of a predatory animal watching her. 

“You’ve been asleep for some time. All things considered do you truly think that was wise of you?” She couldn’t read his tone. Was he threatening her? Warning her? She wasn’t frightened of him but she did feel wary. 

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” she said defensively. 

“And yet here we are.” He called in a bookmark and carefully marked his place before vanishing the book altogether. He rose, his motions graceful. “The rest of the school is at dinner. Do you believe that you are missed?” He placed a hand on the back of her chair and leaned over her. To her credit, she didn’t flinch away from him. She met his gaze, levely. 

“If you’re trying to threaten me, Prince Hightower, I suggest you reconsider.” she hissed back at him. “I don’t scare easily.” Standing he had considerable height on her. WIth her sitting, he towered. He tilted her head back by her chin. She met his eyes and they stared each other down. Then she blinked. “You won’t do anything.” she said with certainty. “You’re trying to scare me, sure… but it’s because you’re worried about me.” 

He looked shocked before his face shifted to something else. Something akin to admiration. “You’re very perceptive.” he said quietly. 

“Desmond? What’s going on in here?” Blair appeared from between two shelves of books. “Josephine?” Confusion very quickly turned to temper. Hot temper. “What are you two doing?” he demanded. Desmond pulled away and rolled his eyes. 

“Nothing. Stop yelling.” Desmond and Blair exchanged a look and Josephine realized they were communicating on a spear thread. That was interesting. Desmond didn’t even look at her again as he left. Blair was staring at her, though. 

“What was that?” he demanded. There was something in his tone that rubbed her the wrong way. 

“None of your business!” she shot back. She was on her feet, then. She grabbed her things and moved to storm past him. He caught her arm and turned to face her. They were face to face. They glared at one another. “Let. Me. Go.” she snapped. The place his hand touched her arm burned even through the blazer and the shirt underneath. 

“Fine.” he replied. He made a show of dropping her arm like it had burned him. “You can do what you want, anyway.” She made a noise similar to a teapot about to boil over before she stormed out. She had intended to storm all the way to her room, slam the door, lock it, and throw up some aural shields before she just screamed. She ran into Renata instead. 

“Josie, what’s wrong?” Renata was well and truly concerned and Josephine sighed, feeling some of the anger drain away. 

“Nothing. I’m fine.” she replied. “Why are males so stupid?! They are illogical and bossy and-” she trailed off into an angry grunt. Renata snapped her mouth closed. Her eyes unfocused slightly before she closed her eyes. 

“So is it Desmond or Blair who upset you more?” 

Josephine unlocked her door and motioned Renata in after her. She did close and lock it behind them. “Who told you?”

“Ari. He knows everything. Blair blew up at Desmond after you left the library and now he’s gone off somewhere to sulk.” Renata reported.

“Good.” Josephine tossed her back into a pile at the foot of her bed. “I cannot believe what just happened!” She explained it all to Renata.

“Oh. Wow. I don’t think that could have gone worse.” Renata muttered. “You’re right. Desmond wouldn’t have hurt you. Not that he’s not dangerous.” she was quick to say. “But he’s got a surprising streak of honor in him. He’s been keeping tabs on you so I’m not surprised he knew you’d fallen asleep in the library.” 

“Keeping tabs on me?!” Josephine exclaimed. 

Renata sighed. “I told you they were being very male about this. They are honestly concerned for you. Blair told us about dinner the other day. The juice.” 

“What about it? It was just some dumb prank.” she replied. “I liked that dress, though.” 

Renata looked uncomfortable. “Blair said at least two of the security guards he saw that night were faces he didn’t recognize.” 

“So?” 

Renata huffed. “Josie, between Blair and Desmond they know everyone here. New security guards don’t just appear.” She was getting annoyed, Josephine could tell. “It wasn’t just a prank. It was a way to get you alone.” 

“That’s impossible. They’re just being paranoid.” Josephine insisted. But the thought made her stomach clench. Get her alone? For what? 

“You’re not being careful enough.” Renata replied tartly. “I think you honestly scared Desmond when he found you.” Josephine didn’t respond. She didn’t know how to respond. She was used to taking care of things by herself. Being watched like this was going to drive her insane. 

“Blair seemed really angry.” she finally spoke up. 

Renata shrugged. “Warlord Princes are like that around Queens. It probably tore him apart seeing you with Desmond like that.” she explained. “Josie, you have a lot to learn and you don’t have the luxury of time.” 

“Learn about what?” she asked numbly. 

“Being a Queen.” Renata stood up abruptly and left, closing the door with a bit more force than she had needed to use. Josephine sat still for awhile, lost in thought. She was a Queen but she didn’t know all the Court things that a Queen probably should know, that much was true. She thought Renata meant something else, though. 

Josephine was still grumbling as she dressed for bed. It was early but she was exhausted and worn out from being angry and frustrated.


End file.
